The Circle

I inhaled the dry burnt air, running as fast as I could with beads of warm sweat running down my face. At the last second I saw a tree branch, “THWACK” I felt the blood run down my head. Dazed I crawled through the brush behind the tree. The blood was running like a water faucet. Rrrip I, grabbed part of my torn shirt and tied it tightly around my head to stop the blood. I kept thinking please don’t find me, please don’t find me. “Swish, swish”, I quickly looked and saw both of them there. They each looked around then kept on moving. I watched them run through the brush until they vanished into the horizon. It got late, so I climbed up the long dead dry tree. It hurt to lay on the branch because I am skinny for my height and age. I slept in the top branch, it was way more uncomfortable than my old shelters grass bed. I looked for the smoke of my old shelter while thinking why we had to start the war, and turn earth into a wasteland. I soon drowsed into a good sleep. When I woke up I was in a room tied to a chair. I squinted through the bright lights and saw three other boys. Two big buff men walked in and untied us. Those were the men that chased me, I thought. They must have found me. Then the tallest man yelled, “Get up and follow us!” One of the kids asked “Why?” I thought, what an idiot, does he have any common sense? The man walked over to the kid and yanked him up by his neck, and yelled “What ya say?” “N...nothi..nothing.” murmured the kid. The man asked “ Any more questions? Good let’s go or we will be late.” The man smashed the kid on the hard ground head first. The kid looked like he was eleven, and now he was motionless on the floor. Then out of nowhere the biggest kid who looked like he was fifteen, ran up and kneed one of the men in the kidney bringing him down like a big rock, and then swiped the gun out of the man’s pocket. He shot the other man in the gut, and threw me the gun. He screamed “SHOOT HIM!” I aimed trying not to hit the kid wrestling the man, I pulled the trigger. “Argg!” screeched the man, as he let go of the kid and grabbed his bloody shoulder. Right then all of us ran outside, slamming the door closed behind us. I saw a fast looking sports car and ran to it. I yanked on the door handle, to my surprise it opened. My luck didn't run out; the keys were in the ignition. I hopped in and told the two other kids to come over and hop in. Right as they got in I realized the car was a manual, I did not know how to drive manual. I asked “ Uh, do any of you know how to drive manual?” At the same time they said “No.” I sighed and twisted the key and it did not start, I looked down and saw three pedals. I pressed the unusual pedal and twisted the key, sure enough it started. I pushed in the the third pedal and shifted to reverse, and floored it out of the dirt, and onto the road. Then I shifted again. I had learned how to drive manual in five minutes! The car was so fast too, it was already at 360 Mph. I asked the boys “What are your names?” The tall one answered “I’m James.” The other answered “I’m Kason, but where are we going. I answered, “My name is Jack, and we are going to stop the Circle, because if this continues we all will be dead. You don't want to follow these rules of no freedom, no life, and death if you do not follow.” “True,” responded Kason.

A few hours later James and Kason were out cold. Throughout the entire trip all the was a wasteland from World War Three. Gas was getting low but we had enough to make it to Circle. Thirty minutes later we arrived at the Circle, I woke the two up and told them to be quiet and follow me. I grabbed the gun and shut the car off. We each looked up at the giant skyscraper called the Circle. “Hide,” I whispered. Both of them ran over to where I was right as a guard passed by. “Wait here,” I whispered. I walked stealthily behind the guard, then I kicked him in the back and smashed his head into the wall. I grabbed the guard's assault rifle from the ground. I tossed the gun from the bright building to James. I grabbed the guard's ID and opened the door, then slid it into my pocket. I shut the door behind us, and saw the amazing inside of The Circle. It had Bright walls beautiful glass windows, and design inside. The floor was a nice marble color, and the chandeliers were everywhere. “Alright guys we have to get to the elevator,” I said. We walked down the bright hallway until we we found the elevator. I used the ID to open the doors and then we hopped in. I pressed the top floor. We went up about 20 floors and then it stopped. My heart started racing, who could this be. The doors opened and a janitor walked in, and he pressed floor 23 out of 24. My heart slowed and I became calm. The doors shut, and the elevator continued until floor 23. The janitor walked out out of the door, he didn’t even notice us! The elevator doors closed, but it didn’t go up. All of a sudden a voice went through the speakers in the elevator. “Wow you're the first to make it up this far, now my janitor can get a promotion,” the voice said. “To bad you have to go all the way back down.” “Click, click, click, VROOOM!” “Ahhhhhh!” we all screamed. Thoughts of my family went through my head, my memories with them. I’m going to see them again, I thought. No, I’m not going to die. “You won’t kill me like you did my family!” I shouted. “Errch”. The elevator stopped. I smashed on the elevator floor and instantly felt pain in my arm. It was definitely broken. I looked and saw James get up. I looked for Kason, then I saw him. Blood was all over his head, I quickly yanked off my shirt and and tried to stop the bleeding on his head. When, the elevator went up again, but way faster. “They’re going to drop us again!” I yelled. The elevator reached the top and it dropped us again. We started going way faster than last time. Then it stopped. Everything went black. I woke up in a chair, tied down with some straps. I looked around and saw James, but I didn’t see Kason. Then I noticed James was crying and knew why Kason wasn’t here. I became flooded with anger, then leader of the Circle came in. He had a curled mustache, black hair and was wearing a suit. I remembered a few weeks ago watching this man kill my family in front of my eyes. He didn’t just kill them he had slaughtered them. I remembered my hiding spot under the bed, just a few feet away from where they died. I thought of a few hours before that my dad telling me if something happens to not get found and to try and make a difference. The man said “I’m surprised you made it, oh and sorry about you friend. He will be good reason for people to not use that elevator. It wasn’t ever safe, and it is the only one that goes up to my floor..” I started twisting and turning, trying to get out, but couldn’t. The man pulled out a gun. He said “Now you can join your family.” “Arrgg!” I screamed. I felt the straps break on the chair, my arm suddenly stopped hurting. I jumped to my feet, and sprinted at the man, then I heard a bang. I didn’t get shot, I kept sprinting and with all my strength I shoved the man into the window. The glass shattered, and the man flew out to his death. I turned around and James had blood gushing from his chest. I ran over and took the straps off. “Go, I’m not going to make it. The rest of them are going to come, I saw a self destruct button. There is a jetpack over there. Go and I will blow this place to bits,” said James. I grabbed the jetpack, with tears running down my face. “Bye James,” I cried. I ran out of the window and jumped, I switched the jetpack on and flew away from the Circle. Boom! I watched the Circle erupt into flames. I reached the ground and grabbed two rocks, then pulled out my knife. I carved Kason in a rock, then carved James in the other. I set them in the dirt, and walked away. My arm was aching, and I couldn’t stop crying. I walked to the car, which didn’t even have a scratch on it. I unlocked it and popped open the trunk, set the jetpack in it, and shut the trunk. I hopped in the car, and drove away, like nothing ever happened.

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